Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > General discussions > Photography in general

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 17th May 2020, 10:24 AM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: North Norfolk
Posts: 394
Default Anyone on the forum with a 3D printer?

This is somewhat off topic for this forum so I'll keep it brief: I need a small and simple plastic item replicating. I'm sure I have seen members mentioning making items with a 3D printer, so if anyone can help, please PM me!

Thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 18th May 2020, 03:06 AM
Dave Hodson's Avatar
Dave Hodson Dave Hodson is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 62
Default

Hi Edmund

I'm in Canada so unfortunately I can't be of much help to you but what I wanted to suggest was to check with your local library.

I wanted to get a printer to make some glass plate holders for my 4x5 but before I laid out the cash, I wanted to check the design.

Turns out our libraries have what they call "Makerspaces" which have 3D printers - you send them the design file and they'll print it out for a nominal fee (in my case, the price of the material). There was a bit of a queue and it took a week or so but not too bad

In the end, I did buy a printer and between me and the grandkids it's actually been pretty useful.

Hope you get it worked out
Dave
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18th May 2020, 10:42 PM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: North Norfolk
Posts: 394
Default

Hi Dave, Thanks for your reply. Definitely nothing like that in our local library - I live in a small country town where we're lucky to even keep our Library.

In fact the issue is more that I don't have any CAD software or the inclination to learn to use it. I just have too much else on the go!










Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Hodson View Post
Hi Edmund

I'm in Canada so unfortunately I can't be of much help to you but what I wanted to suggest was to check with your local library.

I wanted to get a printer to make some glass plate holders for my 4x5 but before I laid out the cash, I wanted to check the design.

Turns out our libraries have what they call "Makerspaces" which have 3D printers - you send them the design file and they'll print it out for a nominal fee (in my case, the price of the material). There was a bit of a queue and it took a week or so but not too bad

In the end, I did buy a printer and between me and the grandkids it's actually been pretty useful.

Hope you get it worked out
Dave
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 18th May 2020, 11:15 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,969
Default

The thing that immediately springs to mind for me is the gap in the market for 6x4 easels. Anyone with knowledge of how to set up a 3D printer could easily make plastic easels liked the Paterson 5x7 but in other sizes and as the set up cost is relatively small per product I can see money to be made.

Like you Dave I neither have the inclination to learn how to operate one so therefore not the will to invest in such a printer but like you I feel I'd be willing to pay a reasonable amount for a product that no longer seems to be made


Mike
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 19th May 2020, 12:10 AM
Bob's Avatar
Bob Bob is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London(ish)
Posts: 2,746
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EdmundH View Post
This is somewhat off topic for this forum so I'll keep it brief: I need a small and simple plastic item replicating. I'm sure I have seen members mentioning making items with a 3D printer, so if anyone can help, please PM me!

Thanks!
Unfortunately, mine had its main circuit board blow up a few weeks ago - I could not repair it and I am not paying £50 for a new board so am looking at alternatives, but bottom line - won't be up and running for at least a month..

For CAD software, Tinkercad is pretty easy to learn and is free - it runs in your web browser (https://www.tinkercad.com). Took me a long evening (or two...) to learn enough to make a small widget or two. It's all graphical and you basically glue basic shapes (cubes, cones, wedges, tubes etc) together to make a more complex shape.

Mike - one snag with 3d printing is that it is slow - something the size of a simple 4x5 easel would take several hours to print (perhaps 3 to 5 hours, possibly quite a bit longer if it is in multiple parts). It would be fine for your own use, but the time it would take and the poor finish quality from a home printer pretty much rules out commercial use. You can get commercial grade resin printers, but then you are talking multiple thousands of beer-tokens each and it will still take an hour or two to print (albeit at much higher quality).

Last edited by Bob; 19th May 2020 at 12:25 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 19th May 2020, 06:58 AM
skellum's Avatar
skellum skellum is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Isle of Lewis
Posts: 1,330
Default

Good Morning Edmund.
Is this a case of needing just one copy of an item?
Is it Photo related- if so, then is it possible someone on the forum might actually have a spare for the asking?

Obviously if you need to make 1000 copies of a tiny plastic bust of Boris Johnson we can't be of any help.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 19th May 2020, 10:18 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Daventry, Northants
Posts: 8,969
Default

Thanks Bob. A reality check should have told me that a home 3D printer might not be up to the job but two things may have stopped this check.
1. Photrio tends to be full of members for whom 3D printers seem to be part of the furniture and with no mention of cost and 3D seems to be the stock solution to many of these kind of problems raised there.

Mind you the U.S. seems still to be full of small workshops run by nice Jed Clampett kind of guys who will willingly turn their hand to any problem a customer turns up with

The U.K. or certainly this region of the U.K. seems to have none of the small engineering shops left

2. Someone with access to a school 3D printer and a bit of spare time was able to make me a superb model of Ralph Lambrecht's test strip printer. Ralph has freely given out the details for anyone to use to construct a printer

So I never made the connection but should have between what a school has and needs for its design and technology classes compared
to what is available and within the average budget of a home user

Mike
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 19th May 2020, 12:00 PM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 758
Default

It would be nice to see a picture of the item to be made.
__________________
It will all be over by Christmas.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 19th May 2020, 01:44 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Southend on Sea, Essex, England, UK
Posts: 3,797
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EdmundH View Post
This is somewhat off topic for this forum so I'll keep it brief: I need a small and simple plastic item replicating. I'm sure I have seen members mentioning making items with a 3D printer, so if anyone can help, please PM me!

Thanks!
It might be worth contacting SRB, as they used to be well known for producing one offs for private customers.

No harm in enquiring:

https://www.srb-photographic.co.uk/about-us-1-w.asp

Terry S
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 19th May 2020, 02:30 PM
Dave Hodson's Avatar
Dave Hodson Dave Hodson is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 62
Default

Sent you a PM Edmund
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
becoming a better printer Alan Clark Monochrome printing techniques 25 10th July 2019 02:16 PM
master printer tonytrot Darkroom 5 13th December 2011 05:10 PM
what is a master printer robinb Photography in general 7 28th November 2011 06:41 PM
Noritsu Printer Mansuriatus Shahrir Auctions of Interest 0 6th September 2010 07:48 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 07:30 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.